$10,052

274

About the Game

While flying homeward, the flock strays off course into the Bermuda Triangle. Suddenly, the birds are pulled into a vortex, catapulted through a wormhole, and lost in time. As players progress through the multi-chapter story, they find themselves lost in places like the Ice
Age during the final meteor showers that killed the dinosaurs, the hellscape of a post-apocalyptic future where man is pitted against machine, the high tides of the Industrial Age where coal-burning mills blot out the sun, China during the Han Dynasty and the advent of fireworks, the mythological age of Ancient Greece, and even the western front of World War One where explosions of mustard gas and dog-fighting airplanes make it nearly impossible to save the carrier pigeons flying above the battlefield. It is up to you to use your knowledge of the flock to guide your birds safely home to the wilderness of present-day Canada.

The original Endless Migration was a browser game created for Kongregate's
Longest Lasting Game design contest in 2009. The game achieved more
than we ever expected, won the Grand Prize, and has been played by
millions of casual gamers since. (Here's
a link to the archived contest page). It's really been wonderful to
think about how many people love the game and still play it to this
day. A simple but addictive mouse-avoider, Endless Migration was
unique, subtle, and fun.

We want your help to completely revamp
the Endless Migration concept. We're considering EM1 the prototype for a
truly immersive and beautiful video game, with a wonderful narrative
and the introduction of diverse environments and a multitude of bird
species. We will release Endless Migration 2 on the iPhone as an accelerometer game and as a free browser game for PC and Mac. If we raise enough funding, we'd also love to do other platforms such as Android, iPad, X-Box Live, and Playstation Network.

Please share this project with your friends and family and help us make this dream come true. Thanks so much!

Gameplay Teaser 1

Why we need Kickstarter:

With your support, we will be able to turn this game into something it never could be without you. This means: more detail, refinement, content, platforms, and love.

Specifically, here is our wish list of things we need to really make this game a masterpiece:

Time to truly polish and expand the game! We came to Kickstarter, because we want to create one of the best games on the App Store.
We want Endless Migration 2 to be a work of
art. With seed funding from gracious backers like you, we can polish
every aspect of the experience and add more and more great content.
Right now, we're committed to 7 unique environments and approximately 20 bird species for the final game. But, we'd love to make that number grow!

Better computers, so that every member of the design team can switch to the mac platform and run the latest and greatest software.

More devices. We'd love to have multiple devices, so that each of us can test and debug the game individually. Since the mobile version of the game is going to be built around the accelerometer, the ability to test thoroughly and simultaneously on a number of generations of device is crucial to perfecting the controls and gameplay. ** Also, if we get enough backers and have funding to port to additional platforms such as iPad, Android, X-Box Live, PSN, etc. we will need additional devices.

Quality audio equipment and software. As a small indie developer, we
probably aren't alone when we often feel forced to sacrifice sound
design due to budget limitations. We'd love to be able to capture and
create crisp sound effects with professional microphones and instruments.

Industry-standard
software like Photoshop and Illustrator will drastically improve
our capacity to make quality art, textures, and other visual elements. There are also a number of third-party plugins, particle emitters, and other software packages that we'd love to buy and use in the game for that extra level of detail and polish.

We'll be able to purchase quality third-party sound effects and other assets to continue to improve the game's visuals and sound-scape.

We'll market the game. We'll use a portion of the funding to mount an online marketing campaign using online and social media advertising.

We'll pay for start-up costs to create a proper business.

We've chosen $8000 as our funding goal, because it's realistic and it's just enough to supplement the amount we've personally invested in the project. With $8000, we'll be able to buy most of these things on our wishlist and create all the great rewards we're offering. Hopefully, this Kickstarter campaign is the beginning of new and wonderful things!

Backer Rewards:

We're posting some samples and details about certain rewards, so that you can see the careful work that will go into all of the great goodies! If you have any questions about a specific reward, please drop us a line.

Example Postcard 1: The Flying V

Example Postcard 2: Big Birds

These 5x7 postcards will be printed on watercolor-paper postcards and
personalized by the development team! When all is said and done, there
will be 7 different designs, which will only be available as part of the
Kickstarter campaign.

The digital special edition of Endless Migration 2 is a Kickstarter exclusive that includes a number of great treats: The mainstay of the special edition is a full-screen, DRM-free version of Endless Migration 2 that will include all content from the iOS version plus a yet-to-be-determined exclusive environment with its own set of challenges and a unique bird species. Players will be able to choose to play the standard story or the special edition story from the main menu. Secondly, you will receive a PDF booklet of concept art, animation cycles, sprite-sheets, and other goodies from the design process and a carefully-crafted PDF-version of the Official Strategy Guide, which is written and illustrated by the development team. We're totally excited about this guide, because it will not only offer strategic insights for perfecting your game, but will also shine a light into the behind-the-scenes aspects of developing EM2. Think of it as both a strategy guide and part of "the making of endless migration" book! Lastly, you'll get the entire soundtrack in .mp3 format, which includes all the songs plus some additional takes, the songs from the teasers and trailers, and a remastered version of the EM1 theme.

We thought custom origami geese would be perfect as a unique Kickstarter
reward. Then we thought, backers are creative, we should totally
bundle these birds as kits so our backers can enjoy constructing the
birds themselves!

Each kit includes one completed bird (to hang or use as reference),
prints of the design to fold yourself on nice quality paper, and a written set of directions
to assemble the birds. We will also email a PDF of the design to you so
you can print and fold to your heart's content and post a video on how
to fold it, because we found out the hard way that reading origami
instructions can be tricky.

We print our shirts at a local eco-friendly printshop here in our
beloved home town of Pittsburgh, PA. The shirts will be standard
American Apparel tees.

We print our shirts at a local eco-friendly printshop here in our
beloved home town of Pittsburgh, PA. The shirts will be standard
American Apparel tees.

We will build you an Endless Migration 2 Zoetrope!

A zoetrope is an early motion picture device that originated in ancient China but was popularized during the Victorian era in Europe. As animators and artists, we're totally excited to make these interesting pieces of motion picture history. Check out the 3D model Jon made as a reference for the Zoetrope! You can also check out Zoetrope on Wikipedia for more information on these cool mechanisms.

Guidelines for Creative Rewards:

We want backers to have a lot of freedom to create great in-game content, so these guidelines are meant to help steer creativity, not impede it.

Designing Birds: When you back us at a tier that lets you design your own bird, you truly get to take charge of virtually every aspect of character design for that species. Birds should be real or within a reasonable historical mythology. The Phoenix would be a good example of a mythic bird already found in the game. Maybe you like the idea of a gryphon, dragon, vampire bat, or other winged creature that isn't technically a bird. That's totally cool as long as it flies! By the way, one of the unique concepts driving EM2 is the concept of the flock as a passive entity. So, if you make a dragon, we aren't going to let it down all the planes with fireballs. You'll still have to keep the flock defensively oriented.

Remember, if you decide to make a terribly powerful creature (like a dragon) it will likely be rare in the game, so keep that in mind and decide if you want your creation to be a rare and powerful gem or a less powerful but more commonly occurring addition to the EM2 narrative.

Designing Adaptations: The max number of adaptations for a bird is 5, but you can design 1 to 5 based on your preference. Adaptations are meant to improve the abilities of a certain bird or to buff other birds in a flock, when a certain bird is present. As stated above, at the core of Endless Migration 2 is the concept of the flock as a defensive - not offensive - entity. Therefore, we are going to avoid any bird or adaptation that attacks or destroys airplanes / people / etc. However, it's okay if adaptations cause birds to destroy themselves or other birds in order to cast. (The Canary's Early Warning adaptation is already like this, where the canary sacrifices itself to save its flock-mates).

Adaptations can't be so overpowered that they make the game too easy to
win, and they sort of have to fit with the bird you choose. If you are totally excited about a certain bird, but can't think of adaptations, we can help with them too.

Designing Level Environments: Think of your favorite historical epoch, a mythology or folklore that
you love, an interesting contemporary environment, or a future reality
and run away with it! It can be underground, above ground, in space,
mythological, metaphysical, or realistic. We are pretty open to suggestions here. We're not looking for the impossible or overly goofy or stuff that infringes on copyright, so flying on the surface of the sun or across the blue screen of death on a Windows XP computer or through the first level of Mario Bros. aren't going to make sense. You'll be involved in creating everything for the level, ranging from the terrain to the specific hazards, challenges, and boss(es) that face the flock. So, try to think of cool places that will look great from an aerial perspective in the EM2 style and also pose unique and interesting challenges for a flock of birds in flight. Levels will last about 1 to 3 minutes each and may recur during survival mode.

Screenshots

Links, Press, and Goodies

Here is a list of resources to check out for more information about
us and our games.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 10 or more
About $10

A 5x7 postcard featuring custom art, printed on textured card-stock, and personalized by the team! This postcard will be chosen randomly from 7 exclusive designs (you can check out a couple examples in the Rewards section to the left). Your pledge also includes the iOS version and the wallpaper.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 25 or more
About $25

Get the digital Special Edition of Endless Migration 2! This includes both the iOS version of the game and a DRM-free, full-screen version for PC, Mac, or any machine with proper Flash Player (This full-screen version is a Kickstarter exclusive that will never be available anywhere else and includes an entire bonus environment only available here!), a digital art compilation of sketches, production art, sprite-sheets, animation cycles, and more, an official strategy guide written by the developers, and a digital download of the original soundtrack featuring all the great music from the game plus extended cuts and the remastered theme from Endless Migration 1. Plus, you'll get the postcard and the wallpaper pack.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 35 or more
About $35

Early Bird T-Shirt Special: You'll get everything from the $50 T-shirt tier, including the special edition, iOS game, wallpapers, and a postcard, but we're offering it $15 cheaper for the first 25 people who take advantage! (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $10).

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 40 or more
About $40

The exclusive poster signed by the development team, the digital special edition, postcard, wallpaper pack, and iOS game, plus you will receive access to a closed beta test, become an active member of a close-knit community of backers, and take part in the design process! You will also receive credit as a Contributor to the game.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 50 or more
About $50

The Origami Goose Kit! If you love birds as much as us, then you will have a blast learning how to fold your own origami goose from custom paper printed to look like a bird from the game! Your kit will include a dozen sheets of printed origami paper and directions on how to assemble the bird. We will email you a PDF of the design, so you can print and fold to your heart's content. We also plan to post a video on our blog showing you how to make the birds, since written origami instructions can be quite a challenge. Includes the special edition, iOS game, wallpaper pack, beta access, and postcard. (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $5)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 50 or more
About $50

Endless Migration T-Shirt! Choose your size and one of three colors: white, heather grey, or light blue. We print our shirts at a screen-printing house located here in Pittsburgh that uses Eco-friendly inks and environmentally conscious printing methods. The shirts will be printed on quality American Apparel tees. Includes the special edition, iOS game, wallpaper pack, beta access, and postcard. (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $10).

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 75 or more
About $75

A beautiful limited-edition print signed by the development team. This print will combine the aesthetics of Pop Art, animation, and the motion photography of Eadweard Muybridge, using the frames of the bird's flight animation to create a colorful work of art! Includes the special edition, iOS game, wallpaper pack, beta access, and a postcard. (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $10).

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 100 or more
About $100

Box Set 1: For generously contributing $100, you will receive the limited edition print, the full set of 7 custom postcards, 3 origami kits, the PDF origami instructions, and the signed poster. Also includes the special edition, iOS game, wallpaper pack, and the beta access. (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $12).

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 120 or more
About $120

Get a handmade birdwatcher's journal with information about each and every bird in Endless Migration 2! This leather-bound journal will be a great piece of Endless Migration lore and will feature plenty of cool facts both about the birds and about the behind-the-scenes of making the game! (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $12).

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 180 or more
About $180

Character Designer: Choose a completely new bird for the game and then design up to 5 adaptations/abilities for it! We will work with you to make the bird balanced and awesome! We'll also provide some basic guidelines so you can contribute a totally awesome creation! As with all the creative rewards, we retain veto power, but don't be afraid of that, because we will work with you to the bitter end to make your vision a reality! Also includes Box Set 1. (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $25).

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 180 or more
About $180

UFO Designer: Over farmlands, the flock will encounter a few unidentified extraterrestrial adversaries (right about the time when some crop-circles begin showing up in the fields below). Backers at this level will be invited to design how these UFOs behave and what they look like, giving each up to 2 unique abilities. Are they saucers, swarms, organic? Can they turn invisible, teleport, shoot tractor beams? See creative guidelines to the left for more info! Also includes Box Set 1.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 250 or more
About $250

Box Set 2: This box has a ton of stuff in it! You get the T-shirt in all three colors (or multiples of one if you prefer), the journal, the limited-edition print, the signed poster, all 7 postcards, and 3 origami kits. Also includes the special edition, iOS game, wallpaper pack, and the beta access. (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $25).

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 400 or more
About $400

Endless Migration Zoetrope! As artists and animators making a game about time travel, we thought it would be completely appropriate to offer our backers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to revisit a piece of moving image history: the zoetrope! A zoetrope is an early animation device dating back to 180 AD but popularized in the 18th century. The circular device is comprised of a spinning cylinder punched with slits that the observer gazes through to see an illusion of motion inside. Ours will be approximately 2 feet in diameter and stand about 8 inches high. We're going to construct a complete one for you with inserts of all of our bird animation cycles (and some other secret animations as well). Some assembly will be required for the sake of shipping it to you. (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $40).

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 500 or more
About $500

God of the Sea: Be cast in the game as Poseidon! Send us some images of you (PG rating please), and we will use your likeness to cast you in the game as the sea god Neptune a.k.a. Poseidon. You will appear throughout the game when certain bird abilities are cast (such as Neptune's Blessing) and will also be a major in-game character throughout the Ancient Greece environment. Also includes Box Set 2. (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $25).

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 500 or more
About $500

God of the Sun: Be cast in the game as Apollo! Send us some images of you (PG rating please), and we will use your likeness to cast you in the game as Apollo the sun god. You will appear throughout the game when certain bird abilities are cast (such as Apollo's Phoenix) and will also be a major in-game character throughout the Ancient Greece environment. Also includes Box Set 2. (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $25).

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 500 or more
About $500

Goddess of Wisdom: Be cast in the game as Athena! Send us some images of you (PG rating please), and we will use your likeness to cast you in the game as the Goddess Athena. You will appear throughout the game when certain owl abilities are cast and will also be a major in-game character throughout the Ancient Greece environment. Also includes Box Set 2. (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $25).

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 500 or more
About $500

Boss Designer: The post-apocalyptic environment is special, because it implements some of the specific tropes of space shooter games, as the flock navigates a future wasteland, where man battles for survival against machine. Become part of the design team and help craft the Boss for this level!! You'll be able to choose its abilities, behaviors, its look, and most importantly, how it can be circumvented by the flock. Part of one of the later levels, this boss encounter will be one of the most epic moments in the game and you can make it yours! Also includes Box Set 2.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 1,000 or more
About $1,000

We wanted a challenge when it came to designing our higher reward tiers, because if you are going to contribute such a huge amount to the game, you deserve a unique and wonderful reward. So, we'll construct your very own continuous Endless Migration 2 Emaki-mono! "What is an Emaki-mono" you ask? The Emaki-mono dates back to 11th century Japan, and is a long picture scroll that generally depicts an epic journey across a long single sheet of paper. Jon, our lead artist, studied them in college and is totally excited to design one for you that depicts the continuous journey of the flock from the beginning of the game all the way to the epic finale! Yes it will be meters and meters in length. (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $40).

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 2,500 or more
About $2,500

Become a Level Designer! For weighing in at our highest tier, you will get to imagine and help design a complete environment in Endless Migration 2. It could be anything (within a certain degree of reason) in the past, present, or future! You'll imagine and design everything from what's happening on the ground to what kind of obstacles the flock faces. Then, we'll draw, animate, and code everything you dream up! Furthermore, you will receive Executive Producer credit in the game. We retain ultimate veto power, but will work with you to make it happen, and will thoughtfully craft your dream level as long as it fits within a loose set of guidelines. You also get everything else (except being cast as Poseidon or Apollo). (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $75).